Yearly Visit
by AllonsyJawn
Summary: Donna Temple-Noble is turning 40 today, and she always gets a mysterious present on her birthday from someone she doesn't remember. Only short sweet one-shot, rated T because I'm super nervous, probably more like a K .


**A/N: We all know there's no way the Doctor just left Donna alone after he regenerated. Who better to take care of her than a man he trusts? Just a one-shot, with a bit of fluff. Thanks, Enjoy!**

Bloody headaches. Donna Temple-Noble sighed, sinking into her sofa. Shaun was at work yet, he wouldn't be home for a few hours yet. Evelina, her six year old, wouldn't be ready to come home from kindergarten until three. This wasn't their fault, anyway, it was probably good that they weren't there right now. Headaches came to her nowadays, off and on, and she knew she was always snippy and grumpy when she was in pain.

Most of the time they came for no reason, or at least no sane reason. The strangest things could trigger them. A bloody documentary on ancient Rome had hit her so hard she'd had to spend the day in bed. She had been helping Shaun take down a particularly large wasp nest last summer and had very painful one. Talking about her old fiancé, Lance, the one who'd left her, that always set them off.

Today, she suspected her head hurt for a very good reason.

She was _40._

It was seven years now that she had been married, with a child, and a fair bit of money thanks to that lucky lottery ticket. Forty years old. She groaned. _Birthdays are supposed to be happy_, that's what Shaun always said. That was easy for him to say, he hadn't spent years with her mother over his shoulder reminding him: _you're not getting any younger, Donna. Time is running out._

Donna Noble hated birthdays, and this one was particularly loathsome.

There was a knock at the door. Donna groaned. "What?" she called, not willing to stand.

There was no answer.

She grumbled a bit, pulling herself from the sofa and stomping through the foyer. Whoever was disturbing her in this mood was in for undeserved ranting. She pulled open the door and was immediately confused.

In front of her stood someone entirely concealed by flowers. There were roses and petunias and tulips, all in four giant bouquets, tied together in the middle with a big blue bow.

"Happy Birthday, Donna Noble-Temple!" he voice gasped behind the flowers.

"It's Temple-Noble," she snapped gently, a smile tugging at her lips. Her three favorite flowers, all tied together and delivered. This had to be Shaun's doing.

"Um, may I put these down?" the voice asked.

"Oh, yeah," she said, moving slightly to the left.

The person brought in the bouquets, setting them against the wall next to her door. A young man turned around, a broad smile on his handsome face. His brown hair waved a bit as the flowers brushed against it. He was wearing a long, blue military-looking coat over a simple blue shirt with suspenders. She raised her eyebrow, biting back her immediate thought. _If I wasn't married…_

"Hug-O-Gram!" the young man said excitedly, scooping her up into a tight hug. "Happy Birthday, Donna. How have you been?"

"Do I know you?" she asked, her headache pounding a bit stronger behind her eyes. "You look…familiar."

"Nope. Definitely not. I'm just your local Hug-O-Gram delivery boy, Jack…Smith. I visited you last year on your birthday, remember? That must be what you're remembering. Everything all right here, Donna? Any…changes since last year?"

"I do remember that…I must have just forgotten…Changes? Like what?"

"You guys have enough money? You feeling alright? Is Evelina in school, yet? How are the headaches?"

"We have money still from the lottery, and Shaun's just been promoted. Evie is in kindergarten…Wait, why am I telling you any of this?"

"Oh, I just have one of those trustworthy faces. People will stop and tell me their life story if I let them. Well, it's good to see you well. See you next year, Donna."

"Wait!" she called as he hopped down the steps. "Who sent them?"

"Sent what?"

"The Flowers. The Hug-O-Gram. Someone must have sent you."

"Oh, right, don't you remember from last year? You have a secret admirer, Ma'am. Don't worry, he knows you're married, no strings attached. Just have a wonderful birthday!"

Donna let a smile slide over her face. She had forgotten about the secret admirer from last year. One of these days she hoped he got enough courage to come around himself. Maybe forty wouldn't be so bad, if she was still getting random flowers from strangers. She closed the door, heading to find vases for her bouquets.

Jack Harkness slid into the car he had parked several miles down the road and hit the speed dial on his mobile. The person on the other end picked up on the first ring, he'd been waiting for the call.

"Jack?" it asked.

"Yep, it's me. She's fine. The kid is in school, Shaun's working, and they still have money from your lottery ticket. Headaches seemed under control, but I had to get out of there before she recognized me."

"Thanks, Jack. I'd go myself, but—"

"I know. She'd recognize you, even with a different face. How are the Ponds?"

"Okay. Amy's had a baby…it's a bit complicated."

"If your life was simple I'd be worried. Talk to you next year, Doc."


End file.
